A young boy who’s been battling cancer got a surprise standing ovation from his classmates when he returned to school after finishing his last round of chemotherapy.
Six-year-old John Oliver Zippay, from Ohio in the US, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2016 and has been in and out of school ever since, CNN reports.
On 27 December, the little boy underwent his last chemotherapy treatment so his classmates decided to celebrate the big achievement.
WATCH VIDEO HERE: Help John Oliver FIGHT Leukemia
Footage from the heartwarming moment shows several of John Oliver’s schoolmates lined up in a hallway at St Helen Catholic School anxiously awaiting his arrival, Daily Mail reports.
As John Oliver enters, the children and faculty break out into rapturous applause as he walks down the corridor.
At the end of his strut, John Oliver is embraced by his mom, Megan, and dad, John, Sun UK reports.
“He's doing great! Yeah, he's feeling better. A lot of his side-effects over the years involved his legs from the steroids [but] he's doing great,” John said.
Following the ovation, a school assembly was held that played a video montage of John Oliver's cancer battle.
The school’s principal, Patrick Gannon, also shared how excited the little boy’s friends were to have him back.
“Him having to miss some of the time was tough, but the class was just so happy to see him come back.”
Sources: CNN, Daily Mail, Sun UK
Read more:
Local cancer survivor shares her miraculous pregnancy journey
When doctors and parents disagree on how to treat a sick child the emotional and financial costs can be huge